LONDON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Britons went to the polls in local elections on Thursday, candidates from as all political parties in the country are vying for votes in a bid to gain the upper hand in Scotland, Wales and England.

    Polls opened at 7:30 (0730 GMT) and are to close at 22:00 (2200GMT). Results are expected on Friday.

    About 39 million people are eligible to vote. Up for grabs are seats in the Scottish Parliament and local councils, the Welsh assembly and most local councils in England outside London.

    The elections, which are the biggest test of public opinion since the 2005 general election, will also be the last in Prime Minister Tony Blair's tenure as Labor leader.

    In Scotland, where 129 parliament seats are to be chosen, Laboris confronting a popular rival, the Scottish National Party (SNP).

    Labor has ruled in coalition with the Liberal Democratic Party for the past four years in Scotland. But this year, most polls showed that the SNP, which advocates independence for Scotland through referendums, possibly in 2010, has gained the upper hand among the electorate.

    If the SNP becomes the largest party, Labor could be forced out of power in Scotland for the first time since devolution in 1999 from British direct rule.

    Welsh assembly elections will be another battleground for Labor with a total of 60 seats for contest. Labor is trying to regain the control it lost in 2005.

    English local elections will see some 10,455 council seats in 312 local authorities to be contested. About 32.8 million people are expected to cast their votes in what seems to be the biggest local elections in England, which include mayoral elections in Bedford, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

    This year, aside from voting at various polling stations, postal votes will also be available. There are also 12 pilot areas where voters are trying out electronic votes.